The late musical genius Warren Zevon was in Ensendada, no maybe he was in Echo Park. And maybe he OD’d on heroin, or not. He did hear “mariachi static on his radio,” however. The live video is from 1977.

Raza Comida is your source for traditional cuisine with a modern flair, like the new and delicious Sunday morning menudo pops. [Audio via our friends @ Librotraficante.. Check out Tony and friends tonight on the radiola!]

During the 1990s, when Luis Echeverría Álvarez was president of Mexico, technicians recorded a presentation of Mexicanos, al grito de guerra, the Mexican national anthem. In 2014, artist Iván Abreu “pressed” the anthem onto a 7-inch 45-RPM record made of ice. Listen before it melts! Or maybe listen WHILE it melts, starting about two minutes in.

When he taught ESL, POCHO amigo Eric Holland learned that a song is a great way to teach students a new language. He wrote this song to teach English-speaking [adult] gabachos a few useful words en Español. PREVIOUSLY ON ERIC HOLLAND:

POCHO amigo Javier Cabral, aka freelance food writer TheGlutster, talked to Southern California Public Radio’s Larry Mantle about why $8 tacos may be worth it. Cabral wrote about this for our compas at L.A. Taco. Frankly, you had me at the uni.

No Gifts For Nazis by Alice Bag SoCal pocha punk pioneer Alice Bag’s demo version of this brand new Christmasy song takes no prisoners. Merry Pinches to you! Alice explains it this way: Here is a sneak peek of a new song conceived by Candace PK Hansen. She really wanted us to have an anti-fascist […]

Before World War II, the American government cranked up the propaganda machine to WELCOME immigrants with a Sunday afternoon radio program from the INS called I’m An American. Sara Laskow reports for NPR’s All Things Considered. Here’s the show with immigration posterboy and refugee from the Nazis Albert Einstein:

In the mid-’60s, Mexican mariachi music ruled the airwaves in Yugoslavia. Singers sported charro suits and sombreros, typical mariachi garb, with typically Slavic names. Public Radio International has the story: Here’s a video example:

“She left Santana in a Chevrolet, to visit her tia in East L.A. — but she never got there!” [F-bomb.] SoCal punks Manic Hispanic’s 2003 version of a Ramones tune takes on new relevance with Trump’s DACA threats. The I.N.S. Took My Novia Away is from the CD/album Mijo Goes to Jr. College.

A story of cross-border romance — a mojado and a Cajun queen — are the stars of country singer’s Hank Snow’s Mexican Joe and Joli Blon, released on 78 RPM disk in 1953. Here are the lyrics and guitar chords (via Genius Lyrics) so you can sing and play along!

She just wants to prepare some home made flour tortillas with her baby girl just like she did with her own mom. What’s the big deal? NPR’s LatinoUSA explains: April Salazar longs to make her Grandma Alice’s tortillas with her daughter. It is the same tortilla recipe her grandmother’s mother made in Baja California and […]

In “Spanish America”, supposed kid singers explain how tortillas are corn bread and frijoles are what’s for lunch: From the Children’s Record Guild 78, released circa early 1950s. With David Pfeffer as Pedro, also with Sally Sweetland, Earl Rogers, Lee Sweetland, Denise Alexander and David Anderson. Music by Miguel Sandoval. Story by L. Paris.